Perineal elasticity  meter

ABSTRACT

“Perineal elasticity meter”, Patent of privilege of invention to measure the elasticity of pelvic floor muscle or perineum which is understood by millimeter circular central stem ( 1 ); the cursor ( 2 ) with a ebbed area ( 3 ) that demonstrates the circumference measurement achieved by expanders ( 4 ) when opened, which are fixed by stems ( 7 ) and ( 8 ) to the hinges and ( 10 ). The stems ( 7 ) and ( 8 ) are fixed in their medial face by hinges ( 11 ) and ( 12 ) linked to two rings ( 13 ) and ( 14 ) fixed in the central stem ( 1 ). The stem ( 8 ), also presents a hinge ( 15 ) where gears the stem ( 16 ) which has its inferior extremity caged to cursor ( 2 ) though the hinge ( 17 ). 
     So, when the traction is bore to cursor  2,  it demonstrates the circumference measurement and makes traction to the stems  16  which, by their hand, make traction to the stems  7  and  8  that hustle the expanders  4  achieving the circumference to the maximum of 12 centimeters of diameter. 
     “Perineal elasticity meter”, patent of privilege of invention (internal priority), has as the purpose to measure the perineal muscle elasticity, understood by two stems ( 1 ) which have convex external surface ( 5 ) until the limited border ( 6 ) giving continuity to the plane stem ( 7 ) that will be the easement of the hand of examiner. The stems ( 1 ) will be fixed in their proximal (or internal) extremities by hinge ( 2 ) and in the distal ou external extremity of one of the stems, there will be a fixed or moved millimeter stem ( 3 ) through hinge ( 4 ). 
     In this way, the examiner will hang on to the stems ( 7 ), will introduce the equipment until the border ( 6 ) into the parturient vagina and will open the stem ( 7 ) in anterior-posterior direction. After that he will measure in millimeters the gap extension by stem ( 3 ).

The present patent of privilege of invention, and the internal priority, has as the purpose a model of perineal elasticity meter, to be used in labor, to evaluate if the episiotomy to the childbearing pregnant woman will be necessary on the expulsive period.

Episiotomy, during several years, was routinely used. But nowadays, the studies showed that it can complicate with infections, pain, sexual and miccional dysfunctions and genital prolapses.

The pelvic floor muscles, known as perineum, presents a big strain capacity to enable for baby passage in the expulsive period of labor. But the distensibility or elasticity properties of this muscle vary a lot from women to other. This is the reason of the necessity of submitting some women to this procedure, and not to others.

Nowadays, the perineum distensibility evaluation is made by the professional person who accompanies the childbearing pregnant woman of empiric way, without any objective method.

There are equipments with a vaginal inflatable balloon whose purpose is to stiffen the pelvic floor muscles. There also are equipments already commercialized whose purpose is to strain the muscle through inflatable balloon and so increasing the pelvic floor elasticity. Nevertheless, it was not still developed an equipment which evaluates the strain capacity of this muscle in a quantitative way.

Seeing this problems and with purpose to overcome them, it was developed a perineal elasticity meter equipment. This equipment will be used before the expulsive period through introducing it in the middle third portion of the vagina. After that, the meter will be open and will indicate the gap diameter measurement. When this measure is longer than 12 cm, the parturient won't need episiotomy.

In the same way, the model of internal priority will be used before expulsive period through its introduction in the middle third portion of the vagina. Nevertheless, differing from the first developed model, this internal priority will be open only in anterior-posterior direction and after that the millimeter stem will show precisely the gap measure.

The perineal elasticity meter, target of the present patent and the internal priority, could be made by proper material to be sterilized each use or also disposable material after use.

and 10 hinges. The 7 and 8 stems are fixed in their medial face by 11 and 12 hinges linked to two rings 13 and 14 fixed in the central stem 1. The stem 8, also presents a hinge 15 where gears the stem 16 that has its inferior extremity caged to cursor 2 through hinge 17.

So, when traction is made in the cursor 2, it demonstrates the circumference measurement and makes traction to the stem 16 that by its time makes traction to stems 7 and 8 which hustle the expanderers 4 opening the circumference to the maximum of 12 centimeters of diameter.

Nevertheless, actualizing some exams, we percept that the first model would need changes. Then, the second model was projected that is showed in perspective (FIG. 2) and opened (FIG. 3). It deals with internal priority which consists of two stems 1 those are fixed in their proximal extremities (or internal) through hinge 2. In the distal or external extremity, there is a millimeter stem 3 which can be fixed or moved through the hinge 4. Related to the stems 1, they have form similar to gynecological specular examinator in their external face (convex surfaces) until nearly middle of their extension 5, finishing in a limited border of penetration 6, being after going on in plane surfaces 7 where they will be positioned by the hands of the examiner.

The test with perineal elasticity meter, target of the present internal priority, could be percepted by the parturient as a gynecological specular exam. But, it deals with more surfacial exam (middle third of the vagina) not to have contact with the uterine cervix.

Of course, this equipment can be made by several materials, sizes and colors according with users interesting. 

1-a) “perineal elasticity meter” understood as millimeter circular central stem (1); the cursor (2) with a ebbed area (3) that demonstrates the circumference measurement achieved by expanderers (4) when open, which are fixed by stems (7) and (8) to the hinges (9) and (10). The stems (7) and (8) are fixed in their medial face by hinges (11) and (12) linked to two rings (13) and (14) fixed in the central stem (1). The stem (8), also presents a hinge (15) where gears the stem (16) which has its inferior extremity caged to cursor (2) through the hinge (17) (FIG. 1). So, the equipment is characterized by the fact of that, when the traction is bore to cursor 2, it demonstrates the circumference measurement and makes traction to the stems 16 which, by their hand, make traction to the stems 7 and 8 that hustle the expanderers 4 achieving the circumference to the maximum of 12 centimeters of diameter. 1-b) “perineal elasticity meter” (internal priority) understood as two stems (1) which have convex external surface (5) until the limited border (6) giving continuity to the plane stem (7) that will be the easement of the hand of examiner. The stems (1) will be fixed in their proximal (or internal) extremities by hinge (2) and in the distal or external extremity of one of the stems, there will be a fixed or moved millimeter stem (3) through hinge (4). (FIGS. 2 and 3). In this way, the equipment is characterized by the fact of that, the examiner will hang on to the stems (7), will introduce the equipment until the border (6) into the parturient vagina and will open the stem (7) in anterior-posterior direction. After that, he will get down the millimeter stem (3) and will measure in millimeters the gap extension proceeded from strain perineal. 